My favorite xc ski, snowshoe and snow biking spots in McCall for Winter Carnival

Fat biking at Jug Mountain Ranch is a fun activity. (Courtesy McCall Chamber of Commerce)

Cross-country skiing in Bear Basin (courtesy McCall Chamber of Commerce)

Hi all,

Well, it's that time of year, once again, when the McCall Winter Carnival is swinging into action on Friday, Jan. 24, and it runs through Sunday, Feb. 2. The theme is "It's a Kids World."

I've been in McCall frequently in recent weeks, and despite 50 degree temperatures and bare ground in the Treasure Valley, it's full-on winter in McCall, with 2-3 feet of snow in town. Master ice sculptors are perfecting their masterpieces as we speak, and downtown McCall is looking bright and festive for this wonderful occasion!

"The McCall Winter Carnival was inspired by the Payette Lake Winter Games, first held in 1924 when a train from Boise brought 248 visitors to McCall. The official McCall Winter Carnival started in the 1960s and over the years, the Carnival has grown into an iconic Idaho event bringing more than 60,000 people to McCall each year!" writes the McCall Chamber of Commerce.

I highly recommend the Marti Gras parade on Saturday, checking out the ice sculptures, ice skating, live music, beer garden, and scores of other events planned for the next 10 days. Have you been growing out your beard, or ladies, your leg hair, for the hairy legs contest? The McCall locals have a great sense of humor, and they know how to celebrate winter!
While you're in town, I'd like to share my favorite places to go snow-shoeing, xc skiing or snow-biking in the greater McCall area.

Drew snowshoeing with me in Ponderosa
Park on the Meadow Marsh Trail.

1. Ponderosa State Park: Located close to downtown McCall, Ponderosa State Park has 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) of groomed cross country ski trails and 3.5 miles of marked snowshoe trails that will be nicely packed from recreation use until we get more snow. There’s also Rover’s Roundabout, a 1-mile groomed trail loop for dogs near the park entrance.

It’s a beautiful experience skiing at the park because of the huge ponderosa pine trees that tower over the groomed trails. The classic day trip is to ski up the main trail to Fox Run, climb Fox Run and take that around to Lakeside, turn right and climb up to Osprey Point, a sweet overlook of Payette Lake. That’s about 6.2 miles (10k) round trip.

My favorite snowshoe loop is to walk around Meadow Marsh. When you’re halfway through, if you’re feeling strong, you might take the Lily Marsh trail to Fox Run and retrace your steps. If that’s too easy, stay on Lily Marsh to Ridgeline and climb to the top of Osprey Point for the view.

Getting there: Take Railroad Avenue off Main Street, heading east. Follow signs to Ponderosa State Park (entrance and trail fees apply).

We're regulars at Bear Basin since they allow dogs on all of their trails. Huck loves it!

Bear Basin: We like Bear Basin because it allows dogs on all of the cross country ski and snowshoe trails, and the trails there have a little more diversity and length. The grooming is frequent and well done, as it is at Ponderosa. Bear Basin has 18.6 miles (30k) of cross country and skate ski trails, and 6.2 miles (10k) of marked snowshoe trails.

Beginning cross country skiers or skaters can do a 2-mile (3.2k) loop right out of the parking area on a green trail called “Just Right.” You can change things up and add more distance and challenge by doing the Polar Express Loop (1.4 miles/2.3k), Mack’s Loop (1.3 miles/2.1k) and Lyle’s (1.9 miles/3.1k). If you do all three of those intermediate to advanced loops, you’ll feel like you’ve gotten your workout for the day.

Snowshoers will find a number of loops in the woods close to the trailhead, and then, of course, you can travel more distance by making your own trail or following the cross country trails wherever you wish to go.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 west of McCall to North Club Hill Drive at the top of the hill before you come to the Little Ski Hill. Turn right. Go a quarter mile to the Bear Basin Trailhead on your right. There is a restroom, yurt and parking by the trailhead. Be sure to pay your trail fees before you ski or snowshoe.

Snow biking on the North Valley Trail, excellent choice! 

Activity Barn/North Valley Trail: Located south of McCall, the Activity Barn is the go-to place for lift-assisted tubing. Kids love it. There’s also 3.1 miles (5k) of groomed cross country ski trails open to snowshoeing and fat biking as well. You can connect to the North Valley Trail, which is groomed out to Heinrich Lane, about three miles one way from the Activity Barn. The bonus of all of these trails is that they’re open for free, courtesy of Brundage Mountain and Valley County Pathways.

Getting there: Take Mission Street south of McCall to Moonridge Drive. Turn right and follow the road less than a mile to the Activity Barn parking lot.

4. Jug Mountain Ranch: Jug has awesome cross country ski/skate trails, plus it’s the go-to spot for fat biking in the area. There are 15.5 miles (25k) of groomed cross country ski and skate trails at JMR. The trails are also open to fat biking and dogs. The classic trip is to ski or ride Mainline trail up to Upper Jug Creek Reservoir. Enjoy the pretty setting of the lake, with Jughandle Mountain looming above, and then cruise downhill, retracing your steps, or take a different trail downhill.

JMR also grooms fat bike singletrack on the South Elk and North Elk trails, which are definitely worth riding. If you don’t have a fat bike, JMR rents them at the clubhouse. Fat bikes are available at McCall outdoor stores as well.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 to Lake Fork. Go east on Lake Fork Road to the entrance of JMR. Stay on the main road and drive up to the clubhouse and trailhead. Check in at the clubhouse before you ride or ski to pay your trail fees.

Enjoy Winter Carnival! 

- SS

State Parks special! Five fall hikes in SW Idaho - Bruneau Dunes, Dry Creek and more

On a clear day, you can see a long ways across the Snake River Plain from the top of Bruneau Dunes 

Hi all,

Sure nice to get some moisture today, we certainly need it, but a continued unstable weather pattern will bring us more moisture on Saturday as well. That leaves Friday and Sunday as the best days to get outside and play this weekend.

I gave a presentation on my favorite fall/winter hikes close to home last night at Boise REI, so it seemed like a good idea to share a few of those gems with you for my outdoor tip of the week.

I touched on 25+ hikes from my Boise Trail Guide and Owyhee Canyonlands guides, so that's WAY too much info. to share here, so I'll shake the dice and deliver five of them ... suitable for this weekend:

• Bruneau Dunes State Park, south of Mountain Home - Take the kids and go play in the sand. Take your camping stuff if you're so included (check on space with IDPR). Easy to do in a day trip or overnight. Bruneau Dunes has a 470-foot high sandy mountain inside the park. Take a hike on the ridge of the dune. People also try to ski and snowboard the dunes. It's always a cool place to explore. 

  

  These were our GPS tracks of doing a loop around the dunes (light green line)

• Eagle Island State Park in west Eagle - Take a 5-mile hike in the park to tour both channels of the Boise River. The trails in the park are generally well-drained with gravel along the river. Hiking time: 2 hours; Vertical rise: 55 feet (essentially flat). Rated: Easy. Make sure you buy one of those $10 annual park passes with your vehicle registration so you have a free pass to get into any state parks in Idaho. Well worth it!! 

 

• Huckleberry Trail in Ponderosa State Park - If you happen to be in McCall, the "Huck" is especially colorful right now. Wendy and I did the loop 2 weeks ago, and it was really starting to light up! It's about 3.5 miles to do the loop. 400 feet of vertical gain. Hiking time: 2 hours. Biking time is 45 minutes to 1+ hours, depending on your speed. The trail has lots of rocks and roots, but the views are wonderful -- you look out on Payette Lake as you tour of the peninsula. You can climb to the top of Osprey Point at the mid-point for a nice overview of Payette Lake and the surrounding mountains. Do this hike on Sunday. The air will be crisp in McCall -- a high of 52 is forecast. 

  

  Wendy enjoyed the fall colors on the Huckleberry Trail in Ponderosa State Park. 

• Charcoal Gulch, Idaho City - Take a drive to Idaho City and go for a nice colorful hike on the Charcoal Gulch Trail, just on the outskirts of town. Find the trail by the Idaho City Airport (ever been there?) on the south side of town. There's a little trailhead on the north side of the airport. Take the Buena Vista Trail along the edge of the mountain, and then you'll see the junction for Charcoal Gulch. There are aspens and pines along the way, plus a small creek.  

  

  Charcoal Gulch Trail weaves through ponderosa pine trees and aspens near Idaho City. (Courtesy Visit Idaho) 

• Dry Creek out and back, Boise Foothills - Friday afternoon or Sunday should be a good day to go for a walk on Dry Creek. The colors should be getting good up there, too! The trailhead is off of Bogus Basin Road, several miles up from Boise, on the right side, as the road begins a series of hairpin switchbacks. You'll see other cars at the trailhead. It's a big day to hike to the top of the Boise Ridge via Dry Creek (7.5 miles, 2000+ vertical feet), so just take your time and go as far as you want.

  

  Steve rides one of the nice bridges across the Dry Creek
  Trail in the upper Boise Foothills. 

• Bonus #6: Head up to Bogus Bogus, ride the chairlift and go for a bike ride or hike from the top of Deer Point lift. I saw that they are running the lifts on Saturdays and Sundays through October. The promotion this weekend is that if parents buy their college student a season pass ($160), the whole family gets to ride the chairlift for free.   

---------------------------------------------
A few notes:

• Our friends at the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands wanted me to share that they have raised enough money to pay for restoring the Plantation pedestrian bridge on the Boise River Greenbelt. It may be installed by next spring! 
• The Idaho Whitewater Association will be doing a litter pickup project along the Payette River on Saturday. See Facebook event for more information.
• 
  

Summer is finally here! Four places to go Mountain Biking in McCall

Huckleberry Trail in Ponderosa State Park is super fun and challenging! 

The trail drops down by the lake in multiple places, providing a place for Huck to cool off ... 

Flowers popping near Osprey Point ... that's Council Mountain with snow in the distance 

Hi all,

It's great to finally see the snow melting off in the higher elevations of the mountains, ushering in the summer mountain recreation season. While the highest elevations are still snow-bound, the lower elevations in the greater McCall area are melted out, and the wildflowers are sprouting everywhere.

This week, for my outdoor tip of the week, I'm recommending four destinations for mountain biking in the greater McCall area. All of these would work for hiking or trail-running as well. All of these trails are featured in my book, Mountain Biking in McCall, available at most outdoor stores in McCall, some of the bike shops in Boise and on my web site. 

1. Ride Huckleberry Trail around the perimeter of Ponderosa State Park. Rated intermediate with rocks and roots in the trail. Distance: approximately 6 miles. Riding time: 1 hour. Two years ago, Ponderosa State Park staff greatly enhanced the mountain biking experience in the park by adding new sections of the singletrack Huckleberry Trail. Now you can ride all the way around the perimeter of the park, stop at one of several places to go swimming if you wish, stop at Osprey Point to soak in the view, and then cruise along the west shoreline of the park with great views of the lake.

Huckleberry Trail parallels the lake along the west shore of the peninsula ... 

I just rode the trail today, and it's been cleared of winter blowdown and other debris. I saw several deer, beautiful wildflowers by Osprey Point, and enjoyed the views of the lake along the way. You have to be on your toes when you're riding the trail in terms of negotiating around roots and rocks ... something that's pretty standard on McCall trails, but not something you encounter that much on the Boise Trails.

Note that if you ride your bike into the park from wherever you are staying, there is no entry fee.

2. Ride Bear Basin - Rated beginning and up. Smoother trails than Ponderosa Park. Distance: Up to you. Riding time: Up to you. Bear Basin is the perfect place to take kids biking. It has a variety of singletrack trails to enjoy, and good trail signage for navigation. I recommend Sleepy Hollow, Ditch Witch, Upper Drain, Blue Ridge and more. See map below.

You can reach the Bear Basin trailhead by taking ID 55 west of the city of McCall and following 55 to a right-hand turn right before the Little Ski Hill. Follow the road to the Forest Service trailhead. There is a rest room at the trailhead.

3. Brundage Mountain had a grand opening for the summer season today (Thursday, June 22), so the chairlifts are running on Thursdays-Sundays throughout the summer. There is still too much snow on top of Brundage to ride Elk Trail, but you can still ride a couple of shorter trails at the base area. You also could take the chairlift to the top to enjoy the view and snap a few photos. As the warm weather of the summer kicks in, you'll be able to ride from the top of the mountain in a few weeks. Things are delayed because of the epic winter of 2016-17.

4. Ride Jug Mountain Ranch - The trails at Jug Mountain are mostly lower elevation, so people have been riding there for a few weeks. Jug Mountain Ranch is located directly east of Lake Fork. They've got some of the best trails in the greater McCall area with banked corners, narrow singletracks, opportunities for big air, and just a beautiful setting in a dense forest with huge trees. I recommend riding South Elk Trail, climbing up on South Boundary Road to Jug Reservoir, riding around the lake on Shoreline Trail, and then taking Vandelay downhill to Harpers Hollow and return to the trailhead via North Elk Trail. You've also got to ride Berm & Ernie, preferable downhill. There are lots of different trails to try at JMR!

Check on the best lodging options in McCall via inidaho.com, vrbo.com, and the McCall Chamber of Commerce. I noticed a lot of open camp sites in Ponderosa State Park today, but I doubt that will last long!

Have fun!
- SS

Here comes the snow! Yee-haw! Where to go downhill skiing, xc skiing and snowshoeing

Big storm coming our way today and thru the weekend (courtesy NOAA) 

Brundage forecast today and tomorrow Winter Weather Advisory Woo-Hoo! 

Targhee has gotten a ton of snow in the last week ... 

Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Declo is opening on Friday

Anthony Lakes is looking good! They open Friday to season pass holders,
and on Saturday for the general public. 

Hi all,

I was watching the weather on the 10 p.m. news last night, and I heard Scott Dorval with KIVI-TV say that we should get 1-3 feet of snow in Idaho's Central Mountains in the next week! That put a smile on my face, I'll tell you what! It's been a bit of a slow start to the ski season, but now things are catching up! Bring it on!

Here's the latest information as of Thursday, Dec. 8th on ski area openings and conditions:

First, here are the resorts that are open now or plan to open this weekend:

• Sun Valley is open for top-to-bottom skiing on man-made and natural snow. Tickets are cheaper now than they will be all season. 16-inch base at the top and bottom with snow coming down as we speak. 
• Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion is opening Friday and will continue operations Saturday-Sunday with at least 80 percent of their terrain open for skiing and riding. Reporting a 12-inch base at the bottom and 16 inches at the top, with more snow coming today, tonight and tomorrow. 
• Anthony Lakes near Baker, OR, is opening Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for season pass holders and then it opens Saturday and Sunday for the general public. Reporting a 30-inch base. 
• Bogus Basin is opening Deer Point Chair and Showcase slopes Saturday, plus the beginner chair. They will open more terrain as new snow allows. Reporting a 21-inch base, and it's snowing as we speak. 
• Brundage Mountain is opening it's beginning hill, Easy Street, and the Bear Chair on Saturday, and may open up more terrain as new snow allows. Lots of backcountry skiers have been climbing Brundage to ski fresh *pow* while they wait for the Bluebird and Engen lifts to open the rest of the mountain. Reporting 13 inch base at the bottom and 16 inches on top, with lots of snow on the way. 
• Gateway Parks in Eagle Island State Park opens on Friday. They've got plenty of snow and lots of park features for folks to enjoy. 
• Grand Targhee opened last week, and they've been getting a ton of snow ever since. "Over 5 feet in 7 days," is the headline on the front page of their web site. If you've got it, you might as well flaunt it! Reporting a 60-inch base. 

Gateway parks at Eagle Island State Park opens tomorrow. 

Boise is supposed to get several inches of snow today, so I'm sure people will be out playing in the snow locally. Snow biking on foothills trails will be excellent until it warms up and starts raining tomorrow. 

Dog owners will be pleased to know that Ann Morrison Park and Esther Simplot Park are official off-leash areas for the winter months. See the off-leash dog areas on the Boise Parks & Recreation web site for more locations. 

You could go snowshoeing at Bogus Basin, Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas,
Ponderosa State Park or Bear Basin in McCall 

As for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing: 

• Bogus Basin is opening the Nordic highway on Saturday, and Sappers and other Nordic trails will be groomed for xc skiing. Stay tuned on snow bike trails. It may take a little more time to get those ready to roll. 
• Idaho City Park n' Ski area parking lots were plowed in the past week, so you could go xc skiing or snowshoeing in the Park n' Ski areas. The trails to Banner Ridge and Stargaze are best-marked, according to Idaho Parks and Recreation officials. As previously reported, none of the xc ski trails will be groomed this year because of the Pioneer Fire. 
• Pondersosa State Park in McCall has rolled a few of their trails including the dog loop and other trails near the trailhead. Park officials report they need another 9 inches of snow to run their groomer and open all of the terrain. But people are out xc skiing and snowshoeing today. 
• Bear Basin trails near McCall are open and signs are going up to prepare for the weekend. They're reporting an 8 inch base prior to the storms coming today, tomorrow and this weekend. 
• For people who like to go tubing, the Activity Barn in McCall will be opening on Friday, Nov. 9 in McCall. They'll have one tubing lane open on Friday, and more will open as snow permits. 

Enjoy this early Christmas gift of wonderful snow snow snow! Have fun!
- SS 

Free xc ski, snowshoe day a fantastic opportunity to learn outdoor winter sports

This all happens on Saturday at Ponderosa Park, Lake Cascade State Park,
and the Idaho City Park n' Ski areas in SW Idaho! Just do it! 

Wendy skate skiing at Ponderosa State Park. Did you notice that she's smiling!  

Free xc ski day at Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade 

Fetching views of Payette Lake from the trail leading to Osprey Point

My autistic son Drew loves to snowshoe. He's been doing it since he was 10.
Here, we're doing the Meadow Loop in Ponderosa Park.  

Hi all,

After many snow storms in December and early January, the mountains are chock-full of snow and just about any winter activity that you'd like to do is now in prime-time mode for snow play!

On Saturday, all of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Nordic cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snow-biking destinations are open free of charge in hopes of luring folks to the mountains to try xc skiing and snowshoeing and playing in the snow.

I highly recommend that you go for it. It's great exercise after the holiday season, and the weather looks favorable on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-20s and maybe a little light snow. Anyone who can walk, can snowshoe. Cross-country skiing is a little more challenging, but once you learn how to balance and glide, it's a real joy.

If you go to Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade or Ponderosa State Park in McCall, they've got free gear for people to use along with free lessons (xc skiing or skate skiing). And the trail fees are waived, too! How can you beat that! Free food and hot drinks, too! Try to get there between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for the best shot at the free food and instruction. See more below about the trail systems at both parks.

At the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, parking fees are waived on Saturday at all of the Park n' Ski areas. But you'll need to bring your own xc skis or snowshoes. Free hot chocolate and snacks are being served at the Rocky Ridge yurt, accessed from the Whoop-Um-Up parking lot, and at the Whispering Pines yurt, accessed from the Gold Fork parking lot and trail system. These areas are located northeast of Idaho City via Idaho State Highway 21. Travel time is about 1.5 hours from Boise.

XC skiing and snowshoeing should be stellar at all three of these locations. All of the trails are freshly groomed, and there's a huge amount of snow off-trail for adventure-seekers. Make sure you bring a pair of ski poles for the best experience if you plan to do off-trail snowshoeing. In addition, be sure to dress for cold weather (long underwear required) and wear some type of snow pants to stay comfortable. Wear a winter hat and warm gloves/mittens.

Ponderosa State Park has over 12 miles of ultrawide, groomed xc trails and 3.5 miles of marked, super-cool snowshoe trails in a meadow and ridgeline setting.

Lake Cascade State Park has about eight miles of groomed xc trails, starting from the Van Wyck Boat Ramp area in the city of Cascade. You can ski  from Van Wyck to the Ridgeview trail and cross Lake Cascade by the dam to ski or snowshoe on the Crown Point Trail. Parks staff at this location are serving hot dogs and burgers for lunch on Saturday, that's a bonus!

The Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas feature multiple trailheads and an integrated trail system that connects between the Gold Fork/Skyline trailhead and the Banner Ridge trailhead. There's about 40 miles of trail total. Saturday would be a great day to check it out and try one of the trails to see if xc skiing or snowshoeing are your cup of tea.

If you need some inexpensive gear, try to pick up some xc skis, boots and poles or a pair of snowshoes at Backcountry Pursuit in Boise or Eagle.

The new goomer stuck in the ravine

Leo goes to work on a tree with a chainsaw ... 

Realize that it's a small miracle that the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas are open this weekend, considering the major snow storms in December created a huge amount of wind, and blowing and drifting snow, dropping more than 100 trees across the trails, many of them green trees (harder to cut). And a new groomer slid off the trail into a ravine, forcing Leo Hennessy of IDPR to summon multiple crews of volunteers on multiple days to dig out the groomer and cut trees out of the groomed trails. Happily, all of that has occurred. Thanks to everyone!

"Pretty much the whole trail system is groomed," he said. "The trails are a little soft in the middle for skate skiing and fat biking, but the conditions are excellent for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing."

Don't miss out on this opportunity get into snowshoeing or xc skiing! Thanks to IDPR for putting it on!
----------------------------
- Also, this weekend is the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo in Garden City. If you're into fly fishing, this is a great event to attend. Good for newbies, too! There's a casting pond, instruction, videos, fly tying, banquet and more.

Take advantage of FREE cross-country ski day Saturday at Idaho Parks, BCRD trails

Skate skiing works great on well-groomed trails. Glide wax is critical. 

Snowshoers hike through fresh snow to Stargaze Yurt, located 1.5 miles
from the trailhead. It takes about an hour to get there. 

Ah, the spellbinding view from Stargaze Yurt, near Idaho City

If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Ski poles help with balance. 

Classic xc ski technique - kick and glide. It feels really sweet when you get the knack for it. 

Hi all,

Saturday is a great opportunity to try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing at participating Idaho State Parks and the Blaine County Recreation District xc trails in the Wood River Valley.

Have you ever thought about trying xc skiing or snowshoeing? Now is the time to seize the day and give it a whirl -- it's great for exercise, getting outside and enjoying the beauty of the Idaho mountains, and it's an excellent excuse to get out of the yucky inversion in the Treasure Valley and enjoy cobalt-blue sky and warmer weather! Snow conditions are excellent!

There will be free lessons and equipment demo's at Ponderosa State Park and Lake Cascade State Park, close to home, or you can rent/grab your own equipment and try out the Idaho City Park n' Ski Trails and yurts near Idaho City. The Park n' Ski parking lots will be open for free (normally a Park n' Ski parking pass is required), and IDPR staff will serve hot cocoa at Stargaze Yurt and Rocky Ridge Yurt.

All of BCRD's xc ski and snowshoe trails will be open free of charge on Saturday in the Wood River Valley. A day pass costs $17, so that's a great value. The BCRD xc ski trail system is world-class, with more than 160 kilometers of trails available, including the trails at the Galena Lodge, north of Ketchum. See more details on Saturday's event below.

Free xc ski day is a national initiative that's been going on for many years to encourage newbies to try cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on local trails. My motto is: Give it a try! Anyone who can walk can snowshoe. A pair of ski poles helps with balance when snowshoeing. Cross-country skiing is a little more challenging, but it's not that difficult. Plus, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are relatively cheap ways to recreate outdoors in the winter, compared to downhill skiing, which can blow a hole in your wallet in one day.

I've been cross-country skiing since I was a kid growing up in Minnesota. The age-old traditional or classic technique involves a little kick and glide, a really sweet motion once you get the knack. In the mid-1980s, the skate-skiing technique came into vogue. Skate skiing is more physically demanding than the classic/traditional technique, but when you get the knack of skate skiing, and you're properly waxed, you can really sail down the trail -- at least on the flats.

On Saturday, at the parks where demo equipment is available, you could try the old kick-and-glide technique and try a pair of skate skis, and see what you like. Instructors will be on hand to help you with technique.

Here are the details:

• Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas -  Take Idaho 21 past Idaho City to the signed Park n' Ski areas. It's 17-23 miles past Idaho City to the different trailheads. The Rocky Ridge Yurt is 1.5 miles from the Whoop-Um-Up parking lot. This trail is best for snowshoeing. Yurt rental manager Judy Ditto will be the host at Rocky Ridge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stargaze Yurt is located 1.5 miles from the parking area at Beaver Creek Summit on Idaho 21. This trail is good for either xc skiing or snowshoeing, but not skate skiing. It's my favorite of the six yurts in the area because it sits on top of a mountain, affording great views of the surrounding area, and it has great skiable terrain directly below the yurt. Leo Hennessy will be hosting visitors at Stargaze Yurt from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dogs are allowed on the trails, so bring your pups if you wish. No equipment will be available at the Park n' Ski areas. Rent some before you go at Idaho Mountain Touring, Greenwoods or Boise REI. 
• Lake Cascade State Park - Free xc ski day activities will be hosted by IDPR staff at the Hasbrouck Ranch Nordic Trails on 981 Cabarton Road (this is the road to the Cabarton put-in on the Payette River, 15 miles north of Smith's Ferry). Equipment demos will be available and lessons from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up when you get there. Hot cocoa will be served at the trailhead. 
• Ponderosa State Park, McCall - Go to the park in the east side of McCall and park by the Activity Center. Equipment demos and lessons will be available from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Equipment will be provided by Gravity Sports and Hometown Sports in McCall, and instructors will be on hand from Bear Basin Nordic Center to teach the classic and skate ski technique. Volunteers from McCall Parks & Recreation and the McCall Outdoor Science School will lead snowshoe tours. Hot drinks will be served at the trailhead.
• Blaine County Rec District -  Free lessons and rentals will be available at the Croy trailhead in Hailey from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Folks can try either skate skiing or classic. The Croy trailhead is located off of Bullion Street west of Hailey. Call Sturtevants in Hailey to reserve your rental equipment, 788-7847.       

The point of all of this is to introduce folks to the sport on Saturday. For the newbies that participate, they'll know a great deal more than about xc skiing and snowshoeing than they did before. Then they can decide what they like best, what equipment to buy or rent, and go do it on their own. What a great community service! Thanks to IDPR staff, equipment vendors and volunteers for putting on such a worthwhile event!

Have fun and enjoy the sunshine!
-- SS

New printing of Mountain Biking in McCall hits the streets; here's 6 must-do rides from the book

Gregg Lawley riding the Bear Basin Trails. 

Wendy in the lower end of the Payette Rim Trail ... tall grass and singletrack. Yum. 

Morgan Hine cruises along on the Loon Lake singletrack 

Loon Lake - Perfect spot for a lunch break half way through the ride.  

Elk Trail! Brundage Mountain Resort 

Cool viewpoint off the Payette Rim Trail. 

Bonus shot: Flowers galore on Bear Pete Trail ... try it sometime 

Hi all,

My guidebook Mountain Biking in McCall  has been super-popular lately, particularly in the McCall market, where it's flying off the shelf. I recently ran out of books in early July and had to quickly reprint to satisfy the demand.

I did update the Bear Basin and Payette Rim Trail descriptions to reflect a few changes/additions that have occurred lately, and otherwise, there are 41 mountain bike rides in the book, and all of them are absolutely SWEET! IMHO.

This week, I'll recommend six must-do rides from the book for different abilities, starting with easy trails and moving up to expert rides. After you're done riding, be sure to take a dip in Payette Lake and cool off. There are several public beaches on the south side of the lake, and also at North Beach on the north end. The lake is a great temperature right now, totally refreshing but not too cold.

1. North Valley Rail-Trail - Location: South of McCall, starting from River Ranch on Mission Street, near the Forest Service Smokejumper Base. You also can start from downtown McCall, and pick up the paved trail heading south to the airport by McCall City Hall or McCall-Donnelly High School. The North Valley Trail is 3.5 miles long, and if combined with the paved trail, it's 5 miles out and back, or 10 miles total. Check out this YouTube video of yours truly riding the trail with my son. The trail is also a great place to hike and run. Great for families and all abilities. 

2. Ponderosa State Park - Ride the gravel Fox Run Trail and then the Huckleberry Trail through thick woods up to the Osprey Point Overlook. It's a 7-mile loop from the park entrance. Fox Run features a moderate climb, and then a fast downhill to the Huckleberry junction. Gear down to your small ring and spin through the woods over rocks and roots, and climb a steep series of switchbacks to the main gravel road, and then climb up to Osprey Point for a great viewpoint and a well-deserved breather. BTW, there is no park entrance fee if you ride to the park on a bike from wherever you are staying. 

3.  Payette Rim Trail - The Rim trail is a longtime favorite ride in the McCall area. It's a 10-mile ride that takes about 1.5-2 hours. 1,000 feet of climbing. Three years ago, logging on Idaho State Lands really tore up the trail. But locals and CIMBA have re-routed the singletrack around the logging disruption, and the trail now takes you all the way down to the corrals by Bear Basin, creating the possibility of riding the rim trail and then making a loop around the Bear Basin Trails to add another 5+ miles to the ride. Thanks to McCall mountain bikers for the awesome re-route!

4. Eagle's Nest Trail - East of Cascade off the Warm Lake Road. Distance: 13.1 miles. Advanced/expert ride. It's kind of a brutal climb up Forest Road #400 (2,800 vertical feet of climbing), but after you reach the singletrack, it's all downhill, and it's a blast. If you're hiking, start the hike on the singletrack by the big highway pullout 4 miles east of Idaho Highway 55. (This is where you park for the bike ride). You'll see the sign for Trail #111. It's 7.7 miles one-way to the jct. with Forest Road 400 at 6,650-foot elevation. 

5. Loon Lake Short Loop - Location: 30+ miles north of McCall. Distance: 10 miles. Advanced intermediate ride. Drive Warren Wagon 30+ miles north of McCall, past Burgdorf Hot Springs, to Chinook Campground. The Loon Lake Loop is what I call "an Idaho classic," one of the top 10 rides in the state. I prefer to ride the loop counter-clockwise, but others prefer clockwise. The trail tread is all singletrack, with plenty of roots, rocks and steep climbs. Best-suited for advanced riders, but some strong intermediates can make it. Pack plenty of food and drink and make a fun day of it. Have lunch at the lake and go swimming. Watch out for other trail users -- it's a very popular place to go.

6. Bear Basin-Elk Trail-#488 Loop - This is one of 14 advanced/expert rides in the book. It's one of my favorite loops in McCall. It's 18.2 miles, 2,580 feet of climbing, and it takes about 3-4 hours. You ride up the Bear Basin dirt road about 7 miles to the top of Brundage Mountain Ski Area. Then you descend on Elk Trail, a super-fun singletrack that weaves across the front side of the ski area for 4+ miles, all downhill. And then, before making the final descent to the base area, you turn left on Growler, and do a moderate climb on Growler over to an unsigned junction with Forest Road #488. It's all downhill back to Bear Basin Road ... a ripping descent, not much traffic, so let 'er rip! 

There you have it! Mountain Biking in McCall  retails for $12.95. It's available at Gravity Sports, Hometown Sports, Ridley's Market, Paul's Market, Shore Lodge gift shop, May Hardware, The Hub and McCall Drug. It's also available at Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, Boise REI and Barnes & Noble in Boise.

You also can download six free rides/maps on my web site anytime, and individual rides from the Mountain Biking in McCall book can be purchased for 99 cents each. Or, you can purchase a hard-copy book or the full-color ebook on my web site.

There are tons of places to camp outside of McCall in the Payette National Forest. If you don't want to camp, check into lodging at the McCall Chamber of Commerce, InIdaho.com, or vrbo.com.
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Here are two save-the-date items coming up in August from George's Cycles:

• Bogus Basin Hill Climb - Saturday, Aug. 17. 
• George's MS Wine Ride - Aug. 25. Thirty-mile ride starts and finishes at the Sawtooth Winery. Benefit for the Idaho MS Society.  

Visit the George's web site for more information. 

Have fun!
- SS

Free cross-country ski day on Saturday is a great opportunity to learn how to xc ski or snowshoe

If she can do it, you can too! Snowshoeing is easy! Poles help with balance. 

Cross-country skiing is fun!

Wendy skis the dog loop at Ponderosa State Park 

Cross-country skiers get some pointers

(Note: The IDPR web site is down Thursday, Jan. 3 all day. It is supposed to be back online by 7 p.m. tonight. Sorry about that.) 

Hi all,

Happy New Year! This week's tip focuses on free cross-country ski/snowshoe day Saturday, Jan. 5, at participating Nordic facilities in Idaho.

The whole purpose of the annual event is to provide an incentive for newbies to get into cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Let me give you some reasons to go:

• It's free! In some cases, equipment rentals and lessons are free! Can't beat that! See below.
• Get out of the freezing temperatures and inversion in the Boise Valley, enjoy some sunshine and get some exercise cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. 
• The basic cross-country skiing technique is pretty easy to learn. Snowshoeing is even easier. Skate skiing is harder to learn but a lot like ice skating if you already know how to do that. Anyone who can walk can learn to snowshoe. Just strap on the skis or snowshoes and go! 
• Snowshoeing is very similar to going for a hike. If you like to hike, you should get into snowshoeing, so you can go hiking in the snow in the winter.
• Southwest Idaho has a number of great places to go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Participating Nordic facilities on Saturday are the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, north of Idaho City, Cabarton Trails near Cascade, and Ponderosa State Park.  

"We're looking forward to it," says Theresa Perry, Lake Cascade State Park manager. "Learn to Ski Day is always a festive event and lots of fun."

Lake Cascade State Park is teaming up with the South Valley County Recreation District, Trinity Pines and Tamarack Resort to offer free equipment and cross-country skiing and snowshoe lessons on the Cabarton Trails at the Hasbrouck Ranch. The fun begins at 11 a.m. and runs to 2:30 p.m. To get there, take Idaho 55 about 75 miles north of Boise, past Round Valley, and turn left on Cabarton Road across from the Clear Creek Lodge. There is a beginner loop for folks who are just starting out, plus 5 miles of groomed trails, and other self-guided trails (no grooming), that you can check out.

In McCall, Ponderosa State Park also is providing free equipment and lessons from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m . Gravity Sports and Hometown Sports are providing cross-country ski equipment and lessons, and the McCall Outdoor Science School is providing guided snowshoe tours and lessons. So if you're in the 'hood, be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to learn. All parking fees and trail fees will be waived for the day.


On Saturday, the trail fees are waived in the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, north of Idaho City, meaning you can explore 56 miles of trails in the Park n' Ski system; 26 of them are groomed for skiing. The easiest place to start is Gold Fork, located on the left side of Idaho State Highway 21 about 1.5 hours from Boise.

If you go to the Park n' Ski areas, be sure to rent some cross-country or snowshoe equipment at Idaho Mountain Touring or Boise REI.

Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation officials will be at the Gold Fork parking lot ready to answer any questions and provide information about ski and snowshoe trails in the vicinity. Here's a map of the trail system and yurts. IDPR folks also will be manning the Rocky Ridge and Skyline yurts and serving free hot chocolate for people who stop by. Free hot chocolate also will be available at the Banner Ridge trailhead.

The Rocky Ridge yurt is located 1.4 miles from the Whoop-Um-Up parking lot. There is a marked snowshoe trail leading to the yurt. Skyline yurt is 2 miles from the Gold Fork parking lot. The trail to Skyline is suitable for skate skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. It's rated "more difficult" because it's a continuous uphill grade Skyline. Dogs are allowed on the trails in the Gold Fork area but they're not allowed on the Banner Ridge trails.


Have fun!
- SS

Steve shares his weekly outdoor tips with Ken and Tim on 94.9 FM The River each Friday morning in Boise at approximately 7:10 a.m. If you miss the program, you can hear the segments on River Interactive.com. Detailed descriptions and color maps of Steve's hikes, bike rides and paddling trips are available for 99 cents each at www.stevestuebner.com, plus the full ebooks and hard-copy guidebooks.